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Crockpot Birria

Crockpot birria with deeply red, smoky chile consommé and beef that turns fall-apart tender after 8 hours in the slow cooker. Blend chiles into a smooth sauce, braise low-and-slow, then shred and serve birria tacos meat with fresh lime, cilantro, and onion.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef chuck roast
  • 3 lb beef chuck roast Cut into large chunks.
Dried guajillo chiles
  • 3 dried guajillo chiles Stems and seeds removed.
Dried ancho chiles
  • 2 dried ancho chiles Stems and seeds removed.
Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce Use 1 pepper.
Diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
Onion
  • 1 onion Medium, roughly chopped.
Garlic cloves
  • 6 garlic cloves
Beef broth
  • 2 cup beef broth Use 1 cup in the blend, plus remaining for cooking.
Apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Cumin
  • 1 tsp cumin
Dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
Smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
Ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
Salt and black pepper
  • 1 salt and black pepper To taste; season beef generously.
Serving toppings
  • 1 lime wedges
  • 1 cilantro
  • 1 diced white onion

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Toast and soak the chiles
  1. Toast the guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, then remove to hot water and soak for 10 minutes to soften.
Blend the birria chile consommé
  1. Blend the soaked chiles with diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and 1 cup beef broth until completely smooth.
Braised beef in the slow cooker
  1. Season the beef chuck roast chunks generously with salt and black pepper, then place them in the crockpot.
  2. Pour the chile sauce over the beef, add the remaining beef broth, and stir to coat.
  3. Cook on low for 8 hours (or high for 4–5 hours) until the beef is completely fall-apart tender.
Shred and serve
  1. Shred the beef directly in the consommé and serve with lime wedges, cilantro, and diced white onion.

Notes

Pro tip: Blend until fully smooth so the consommé turns silky and evenly coats the beef. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; reheat gently to avoid drying out. Freezing is yes—freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge before reheating. For a lighter option, use leaner beef chuck or substitute a trimmed beef cut to reduce fat while keeping the same chile consommé.